When this pattern released last summer I knew it would be perfect for our trip to Bali, so I promptly wippped up a short and long version (but then didn’t blog about them haha!). I got a ton of use out of them both on my trip and during the heat of last August, so I knew I wanted to continue to add to my growing caftan collection this summer.

Monstera plant print fabrics are having a bit of a hay day at the moment, so I decided to join on the leafy trend and grab some Rifle Paper Co fabric print for my birthday especially to make this maxi length caftan. The previous maxi length that I made last summer was out of some crinkly linen from BlackBird, and while I love it is a bit more stiff than I think I would ideally like. This fabric has a bit more drape and makes for a float-y dress of sorts.

Prior to learning how to sew I would have never picked out a maxi length dress to wear, simply because I would never be able to find one that fit without cutting off what seemed like 1/3 of the length, #shortgirlproblems. I also thought that the long length made me look shorter but I think that was because of all the excess fabric that would be present when I would try maxi dresses on. But now my shortness is to my advantage as I got away with using a lot self fabric since I pre-shortened the pattern pieces! Which was especially great in this instance as Rifle Paper Co fabric ain’t cheep yo!

Side slits for the breezy win!

Other than having pockets (which instantly makes a dress amazing in my opinion) the other amazing thing is how quickly it comes together! Don’t let the maxi part of this pattern intimidate you, once you insert the gathered front portion this dress sews up in no time flat! I think in total it took me about 2 after work nights and a bit of a morning on the weekend to sew it all up. It’s a super satisfying sew for sure!

Other than adjustments to the length I also took in about 1/2” around the neck on the back piece due to some gaping. I made the modification after a sewing friend of mine pointed out the issue (thanks Rachel!) and it really has helped as it also made the front v-neck portion sit more comfortably so I’m not constantly pulling up at it. I think I’ll go ahead and make the same modification to my other caftans now that I’ve identified the issue. Speaking of the V neck it is quite deep but it's really well blanced with the over all covered up nature of the dress so once I fixed the neck issue I didn't have any qualms about being too 'boob-a-licious' if ya know what I mean.

Blending in with the foliage!

This is such a fun dress to wear! It’s so comfy in the heat and easy to style that you get the best of both worlds, feeling nice and cool while looking smoking hot ;) I know this dress is going to be a weekend staple in my closet this summer!

Now if you’ll excuse me I have some sashaying around the sea wall to do ;D